Monday, September 30, 2019

Partisanship

Before I continue I would like to reassert that this house believes that a two-party system is preferable to a multi party system. Partisanship is a problem that has plagued America for centuries. In recent decades the issue has become even more severe with the American people witnessing the first government shutdown in the nation's history in 1981. A government shutdown is the result of the failure of congress to pass a budget for the new fiscal year and results in the halt of most federal services. The shutdown in 1981 occurred because the president of the time Ronald Reagan vetoed a budget that had been passed by the Democratic majority in congress. In 2013 the government fully shut down for over two weeks; the result of the partisan debate over Obama care. In recent years the problem of a government shutdown has become increasingly prevalent as the sectarianism within the essential political institutions such as the United States congress become even more extreme. This year the government has already shut down twice. A clear sign of the danger that the irrational level of partisanship within the United States' government poses to its citizens. Beyond government shutdowns partisanship drastically affects many other aspects of government. Recently the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh has showcased the intensity of the sectarianism in the United States today. The hearing, which should have served to validate or invalidate the claims made against Kavanaugh, was instead used by members of both the Democratic and Republican Parties to point fingers at one another in mock outrage. This is only one example of how sectarianism has frequently prevented the United States' lawmakers from properly doing their job, causing laws that benefit many Americans to fail. Laws such as the DISCLOSE Act, which would have forced companies to disclose their political spending, would have helped to ensure transparency in government-private business relations, is only example of a law that was killed by sectarianism. There are countless other examples of laws stopped by nothing but partisan hatred such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have ensured equal pay for men and women doing the same jobs. In other words, for no reason then hatred of the basic ideology of another party dozens of men and women in the United States congress have chosen to vote against bills that would serve to make America an even greater country. All that has been accomplished in this country's recent years: rapid economic recovery and growth from the 2008 crash, government subsidized health insurance, and the legalization of gay marriage, has happened despite, not because of the partisanship within our government. Furthermore the sectarianism outside of the United State's government negatively impacts the people of the United States. Far too often people are unable to agree with or even recognize perfectly reasonable claims or ideas simply because they are presented by a person who does not share the same political affiliation as them. This leads to discordance and dissatisfaction among the American public, as well as most populations around the world, as people who do not share opinions constantly fight and bicker failing to see things that are legitimately important. Additionally partisanship leads to extremism such as that propagated by groups such as ISIS or the KKK, due to people forcing the opinions of their party on those who do not share those opinions or violently attacking those who refuse to change their minds. It is clear that with only two parties in America the sectarianism in the country is already stretching the country to the breaking point. With only two parties America's governmental institutions struggle to pass the bare minimum of laws to keep the government running. Ultimately, the addition of new parties to a two party would only add to the strain felt be the American government and others like. More parties would mean more sides, each with their own separate agenda, attempting to force laws through a legislative branch filled with people that oppose them. As no one party would have the majority in a true multi-party system it would be next to impossible for any law to gather enough support to pass through congress let alone the desk of a president who, in all likelihood would be of a different party affiliation than the people trying to pass the laws. The sectarianism seen among the public of America and other countries today would increase as well, the result of even more separate political affiliations, causing further social unrest. The famous saying, â€Å"united we stand divided we fall,† is true. A multi-party system will divide a country's citizens, causing discordance and the eventual failure of its government, while two or fewer parties will unite the country, allowing it to continue unimpeded and grow stronger. From the arguments that the members of my team and I have made, it is clear that a two party system is far preferable to a multi-party system. We affirm the resolution and strongly encourage an affirmative ballot.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’ and Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ Essay

A person spends most of their developing years under the guidance of their parents or guardians. They affect how we think, how we feel, and how we act. These are among the people who hold the greatest influence. Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’ and Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Girl’ both deal with the relationship between a young girl and the guiding force in her life. Amy Tan tells of a mother’s expectation for her daughter to be a child prodigy. Jamaica Kincaid tells of an unknown person describing to a girl how to be a ‘good’ girl. Both essays illustrate an authority figure that has expectations for a young female and why and how those expectations will come about. As young children growing up without a care in the world, we cannot comprehend why authority figures dictate how we should behave. In ‘Two Kinds’, the daughter is expected to be a child prodigy because her mother believes ‘you can be anything you want in Americaà ¢â‚¬â„¢. The mother sees other children with amazing talents and thinks her child could be just as talented, if not more so. She continually places pressure on her daughter to be some kind of prodigy. The daughter is expected to be a great beauty with unmatched dance abilities, an untapped wealth of useless information, and piano-playing skills like no other. In ‘Girl’, the expectations are much lower, but just as stringent. The girl is expected to do a myriad of chores and to become a ‘lady’. She is advised on how she should act and how she can avoid being a ‘slut’. In ‘Two Kinds’, the mother has high hopes; she believes a person can be anything they want in America and she wants a daughter who excels in some area. All of the mother’s hopes lay on the daughter. Her hopes are bolstered by stories about remarkable children with incredible talents. If they can succeed are such a young age, surely her child can as well. The mother wants her daughter to be the best she can be, but she has unrealistic expectations. The girl in Jamaica Kincaid’s essays is not being held to such high hopes and dreams. The expectations placed on her are not as high, but are equally unforgiving. Her authority figure wants her to be the perfect ‘traditional’ girl. She is expected to cook, clean, iron, and not assert her independence. Children, though, are naturally independent and free-willed. For the authority figures to have their way, the girls must be obedient. Obedience and denigration are the methods in which these expectations are supposed to met. In ‘Two Kinds’, the mother states, ‘Only one kind of daughter can live in this house–obedient daughter!’ The daughter does not want to live up to outside expectations, but she does not want to disappoint her mother; part of her feels obligated to be loyal. The mother compares the daughter to other children, which makes the daughter feel worthless. The mother talks about a three-year- old who knows the capital of all the states. She forces the daughter to watch television shows featuring talented youngsters. She implies her daughter is not as good as the other children. In ‘Girl’, the girl is given two choices – be a girl or be a slut. Essentially, she is being told what she must do; there is no room for debate. In between being told what to do, though, the authority figure also reminds her she could well be on her way to becoming a slut. In both essays, the girls come full circle. They both go through a period of being told what to be and what to do. Both girls resent the pressure and expectations put on them in their adolescence, but in the end, they choose paths that lead back to their beginnings. Amy Tan’s girl spends a good portion of her youth hating practicing piano. As an adult, she plays an entire piece of music and is marveled by the beauty of it. In some respects, she becomes the child her mother wanted. Jamaica Kincaid’s girl spends a good portion of her youth protesting the label of ‘slut’ placed upon her. In the conclusion, she becomes the kind of woman she swore she was not.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

The Wrong Side of Attraction

â€Å"Love Can Be Deceiving†, most people would say, but Tommy Shooter did not believe so. A General in the United States Marines in his mid-30’s, Tommy was muscular, quick-tempered, highly trained sniper. One day Tommy led his troops to Afghanistan in search of terrorists when they were ambushed. Tommy was shot in the leg during this and, the medics quickly carried him and his other injured soldiers to the chopper where they were air lifted to the military hospital in Paris, France. Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctors took Tommy to a room for emergency surgery. Dr. Scholl’s Ph. D. , calls for his top nurse to come and assist him. Walking into the room with her candy stripe nurses uniform, was a mid-20s Italian brunette woman with hazel green eyes and a smile to brighten any man’s day. Smitten with love at first sight, Tommy tried repeatedly to gain Blair’s attention. Blair growing up in a wealthy family was very independent and did not want to have to live on her family’s fortune. Blair wanted to work and make her own money. Her dream was to become a Certified Nurse in a big city. She found her dream job in Paris miles away from her family back in Italy. Blair saw Tommy as a cocky general, who always tried to sweet talk her. Every morning when Blair entered his room, the first thing she dreaded to hear from Tommy was â€Å"Hello Nurse†!!!!!! Tommy wore the biggest smile after yelling this to her. After a while, she began to enjoy hearing him say that to her. â€Å"At least I know he has great taste†, Blair would always say. Tommy was held in the hospital for a month before being released, but every morning he would come to Blair with his â€Å"Hello Nurse† and twelve dozen roses, before leaving he always told Blair that she would be his wife. Blair found his persistence very attractive, so she decided to give him a chance; they were married under the Eiffel Tower, and they settled in and off base fancy townhouse flat near every tourist attraction and venue in the heart of Paris, France. They love their new home, marriage, and romantic Paris atmosphere. One day Blair opens her mailbox to find a â€Å"FREE Two Person Admission† to The Number One Magic Show in Paris, France. The night of June Fourteenth two-thousand seven, Tommy received a call that would change everything for Blair and him. He was to be deployed back to Afghanistan. Tommy was not surprised, but he did not know how to tell Blair, since it was the night before their one year anniversary. Upon departure, Tommy says to Blair that he is in love with her and that he would love for her to enjoy herself at the show even though he will not be there, but he will come back home to her soon. After Tommy’s departure, Blair decides to pick up her tears and to enjoy the Paris scenery. Leaving her townhouse flat, Blair sits to an outside restaurant and helps herself to a meal. As the night falls, Blair decides to attend the magic show. â€Å"I will write Tommy as soon as I get home to tell him about my day†. Blair says sipping her martini. â€Å"Hello my name is Johnny Chan and this is my friend Natasha McBain. There before her stood a good-looking low-musculared Asian man. â€Å"Hi my name is Blair Shooter, I am a LPN at the Paris Military Hospital, what about you guys†, Blair says with a smile. â€Å"I have recently opened a Computer Technician’s Store and if you need your computer or laptop fixed, don’t hesitate to let me know. FREE of Charge first visit,† Johnny says sipping his beer. â€Å"Hello my name is Natasha McBain she wore dark-blonde hair as if painted by an artist, curvaceous , and in her early thirties. I’m a supermodel in every top magazine, and it’s so nice to meet you. † Blair did not really like Natasha but enjoyed her and Johnny’s company. Suddenly, the lights dims, â€Å"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Michael Dunn and I am your magician for tonight prepare to be amazed!!!! † Blair was very amazed not at the show, but with her love of magic and mystery Blair saw most of the tricks. The disappearing act, cutting the box in half, and the pulling the rabbit out of the hat trick, but Blair’s attention was on Michael himself. This white debonair magician, â€Å"Looks like he’s in his mid-twenties†, Blair says to herself. â€Å"And for my last trick ladies and gentlemen, I will need one volunteer, How about you miss†, Michael says smiling at Blair. â€Å"Why not, I love magic† Blair says. â€Å"Great I am going to hypnotize you with your consent or course†, Michael says. â€Å"Of course,† Blair says before falling asleep. The crowd clasp and Blair becomes awakened, blinded by the spotlight Blair smiles confusingly and sits back in her seat. She’s was puzzled without any recollection of the trick or anything. After the show, Blair could only think of Michael, he approached her before she went out of the theatre. â€Å"I know you feel this connection between us†, Blair looked into Michael’s eyes. â€Å"Yes† she says. That night, Blair slepted in Michael’s arms, as if she was with her true love. â€Å" Be Careful Who You Fall For† â€Å"It has been two years, and I am ready to see my wife. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) will not hold me down, my wife’s love can heal me†, Tommy says to himself. Departing the plane he notices that Blair is not there to greet him, puzzled he catches a cab to his townhouse flat. â€Å"Honey, I’m here!!! Tommy yells to find her not there. â€Å"I wonder where she could be Tommy thought to himself. Two months pass and Blair finally enters their townhouse flat. â€Å"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!!? † Tommy yells. Nonchalantly Blair says â€Å"Oh with friends, and when did you get here umm Tommy, yeah that’s right, as if forgetting his name. â€Å"Friends for two months!!! Tommy snarled â€Å"Yes† Blair smiled. â€Å"I am not going to argue with you umm Tommy I’m going out we will talk later† Blair says slamming the door behind her. Suspicious Tommy follows his wife to a Magic Theatre, walking closer Tommy hears his wife involved with another man. Love can be deceiving,†Tommy says leaving the theatre he gets into his car and grabs his pistol thinking to himself. â€Å"I am confused, broken-hearted and in rage†¦I will kill him, and her† â€Å"NO!!.. † â€Å"I need a drink†, Tommy says getting back into his car he drives to the bar near his home. At the bar, drowning in liquior, Tommy is approached by this gorgeous, dark blonde-haired, blue eyes, curvaceous woman. â€Å"Hi do you need a friend my name is Natasha McBain, I noticed that you seem in need of someone to talk to as well as I do†. â€Å"That’s fine†, Michael says gathering his attention back to his drink. Tommy and Natasha confide in one another over the night, Natasha tells Tommy of her on again off again friend/lover Johnny Chan, and Tommy confides to Natasha by telling her of his wife’s betrayal, his marriage, and uncertain future. â€Å"I will fight for my marriage!! †, Tommy says in a drunken bluster. As the time passes they comforted each other physically and emotionally, and the next morning Natasha was gone. Without any sign from Blair, Tommy grabs his rifle and sets out to her lovers place. Seven o’ clock that morning, Tommy wakes to hear Blair’s laughter. Posted above the roof-top across the street from Blair and her lovers place, Tommy quickly wiped his eyes and perched himself across the ledge with his rifle assembled and aimed. As Tommy looks in the scope to pull the trigger on Michael, Blair jumps into the shot hugging and kissing Michael. Tommy heart drops â€Å"this was a waste of my time, maybe I should just let her be with him†, Tommy says packing up his gun. â€Å"NONSENSE† a voice in the shadows says. â€Å"Who is that? Who is there†, Tommy says frightened. â€Å"Pardon me sir, I would love to offer you a deal in your dilemma,† says the stranger. That man you tried killing. I can give you all of the power you can ever imagine, all you have to do is succeed in eliminating him. He’s cheating with your wife and that’s not right, I will give you a more powerful life.. a better life†¦his life†, says the stranger . â€Å" Who are you and how do you know what I am going through? † Tommy yells. â€Å"My apologies†, the stranger says, my name is Steven Clay appearing from the shadows there stood a very big intimidating, white male with long straight black hair, and piercing wicked green eyes, which made Tommy’s hair stand on the back of his neck and he begin to sweat. That man you tried to kill, his name is Michael Dunn, he is an imposter, he is not a true sorcerer†, says Steven. That night at his little Magic Show, he hypnotized your wife and she fell in love with him. † â€Å"I will not allow him to trick anyone into falling in love with them, that is against the rules and he knows that. † â€Å"A master of the arts, my mentor, and my teacher,† says Steven, BUT when it comes to women he is a fool always that is when a true sorcerer is truly weak and vulnerable,† Steven says smiling at Tommy. What do you want me to do? † Tommy says looking at Steven. â€Å"The deal is for you to come her again in the morning and shoot him again I will give you a special bullet. When Michael Dunn is dead I will know, then and ONLY then will I make you immortal. † â€Å"BUT if you FAIL AGAIN. I will take your life, body, and soul, you see I am a shape shifter, and a soul reaper ALWAYS looking for damned souls, your life will become my and a part of me for all eternity,† â€Å"SO DO YOU AGREE? † Steven says whose eyes were turning red. Yes I agree â€Å" replies Tommy, â€Å"Great, I will know when the job is done†, Steven says before vanishing. It is 2:00 a. m. , fueled with drunken rage, Tommy has not been sleep, â€Å"I can’t sleep, today is the day that Blair’s lover dies,† Tommy says. With his bottle of Jack Daniels in hand and his rifle in his car, Tommy drives to the Magic Theatre, and falls asleep on the roof-top across the street from his wife and her lovers place. It is now 7:00 a. m. , Tom my wakes to hear Blair’s laughter, he then again props himself along the ledge with his rifle assembled and aimed. Tommy sets his scope and waits for Blair to leave, â€Å"See you later Amore†, Blair says â€Å"Okay† says Michael with a look of disgust as he walks back into the Magic Theatre. Ready to aim, Tommy fires his rifle and the bullet shoots out the barrel like lighting, â€Å"BOW†. Michael turns and blocks the bullet with his supernatural powers, when he sees’ Tommy on the roof-top across the street from his building. Michael throws the bullet back toward Tommy knocking his rifle off of the ledge and onto the sidewalk. â€Å"Fool† Michael says as he walks back into the Magic Theatre. Failing miserably, Tommy rushes home to gather his things to escapes Steven’s raft. Barreling into his townhouse flat, Tommy begins packing his things to go back to the United States. â€Å"I have to get away from the liers, cheaters, and most importantly I must keep my soul,† Tommy says laughing nervously. Suddenly Steven appears in a puff of black smoke, â€Å"YOU HAVE FAILED, I WILL SUCCEED WITHOUT YOU!!! † Without a word Steven steals Tommy’s soul, and has the power to now shape shift into Tommy and back to himself. Steven now pleased with enough power to conquer Michael, along with Tommy’s body. The next morning, Steven walks up to Michael and grabs his chest looking into Michael’s eyes, Steven says â€Å"You will NEVER Be ME† showing his true face. â€Å"STEVEN!!! † Michael says before falling dead. Gaining all of Michaels power and stealing his soul, Steven decides to continue roaming the Earth for eternity searching for new souls to take. Meanwhile, Blair reading the morning paper, see’s that her lover Michael has died, she immediately breaks down and goes mentally, physically, and emotionally insane. Her wealthy family finds her homeless in downtown Paris. We have searched all over for you†, Blair’s mother says as tears roll down her cheeks, â€Å"our daughter has become delusional,† Blair’s father says. â€Å"She’s has all these crazy fantasies of magic spells, of disappearing shape shifting men. † â€Å"And all she keeps repeating and the end of all of this nonsense is PIERCING WICKED GREEN EYES, PIE RCING WICKED GREEN EYES, PIERCING WICKED GREEN EYES†, before fainting Blair’s father adds. â€Å"We will just have to admit her, she has gone insane my daughter always believed in that magic nonsense† as he walks away. Blair’s mother kisses her good-bye and they transport her to The Paris Asylum, for the Mentally Insane. It is now Sunday morning, and Natasha McBain wakes up with hope of true love in her eyes. As she begins her day, she walks out of her penthouse suit onto the sidewalk and she says to herself, â€Å" Today will be the day that I will FINALLY tell Johnny Chan how I truly feel,† says Natasha sipping her coffee. â€Å"This time without magic or tricks,† her eyes changing from blue to red as she puts on her shades.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Exxon Mobil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exxon Mobil - Essay Example 43). 3) The weighted average rate of interest at which Exxon Mobil Corporation procured their long term debt during the financial year ended 31st December 2013 was seen to be 3.3%. This is also the general lending rate of banks in the U.S to commercial organizations (p. 42). 4) The current yield on 31st December 2013 was lower than the yield on 31st December 2012. The decrease in the current yield rate was primarily due to a rise in the coupon rate. This implies that the binds were being traded at a discount (p. 40). 3) The value of common stock held in treasury amounted to a value of 212,781 million dollars. The average cost per share was approximately $150.56 and number of stock held in the treasury amounted to 2.5 million (p. 40, 42). 5) The company is seen to provide a number of employee stock option plans so as to induce savings and thereby enlarge their pool of investments. However there are no obligations imposed on the employees to invest in the company’s shares and therefore no deductions in this respect are made from their monthly payments. Employees who participate in the stock option are provided with a number of benefits such as higher medical reimbursements and travel allowances than employees who do not participate in the stock option (Harrington, 2003, Exxon Mobil, 2013). 1) The fair value of the investments of Exxon stood at 36,328 million dollars at the end of the year (p. 42). These investments were made in the form of stocks majorly. A considerable portion of the investments also consists of long term receivables granted to debtors. These were treated as investments by the company. Advances of long term maturity were also treated by the company as investments. 3) The net income per share in the year 2012 was seen to be $9.70. This had considerably fallen in the year 2013 to reach $7.37 (p. 41). A probable cause of the decline in net income per share was repurchasing

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Supplier Sourcing and Development; Contracting Risks and Arrangements Assignment

Supplier Sourcing and Development; Contracting Risks and Arrangements - Assignment Example The underlying decision must be evaluated in terms of its benefits and costs in relation to all business pursuits that should be undertaken. The benefits of make or insources and buy or outsource are critical to account for, alongside their relative costs. The most appropriate in terms of more benefits and lesser costs between make/buy and insource/outsource becomes integral to the decision made. The contracting process that the federal government observes has its benefits and shortcomings. Specifically, socioeconomic programs, goals and quotas constitute both positive and negative impacts (Trent, 2007). On the positive side, the aforementioned aspects are designed to benefit the various sectors of the economy. To the stakeholders involved in the contracting processes, fairness and equal opportunities are provided for by the said aspects. All players have equal opportunities to the benefits provided for by the programs, goals, and quotas. On the other hand, negative impacts are realized. Bureaucracy encompasses federally mandated practices, lengthening contracting processes relative to industrial or commercial practices in the same line. Also, inadequacy of resources limits business interaction between the federal government and other stakeholders in that

Yasunari Kawabatas Masterpiece Yukiguni Research Paper

Yasunari Kawabatas Masterpiece Yukiguni - Research Paper Example After his parents’ untimely deaths, he came to be raised by his maternal grandfather. He lost his grandparents at a young age either and by the time of his teens, was bereft of most of his close relatives. While graduating from the Tokyo Imperial University, Kawabata contributed to the magazine Bungei Shunju, which brought him to the attention of editors and well-known writers of that time, including author Kan Kikuchi. He went on to become one of the founders of Bundei Jidai (or ‘the artistic age’), a publication that became the medium for a new movement in modern Japanese literature. Kawabata also worked for a time as journalist and claimed himself to be deeply moved by World War II, which was apparently one of the greatest influences on his work. Kawabata allegedly committed suicide in 1972 by gassing himself, although this has not been conclusively proven. It is certain however that the early loss of his family and, by his own admission, the horrors of the war , left his work with a tinge of melancholy and sense of insecurity and loss. He was the first of two Japanese Nobel laureates – Oe Kenzaburo being the other – and is perhaps globally, the best-known Japanese writer in contemporary times, although his status in his native country as an author is still widely debated among critics (Miyoshi). Kawabata’s literary style is characterized by its free flowing imagery. He uses surprisingly original and unusual images in his stories that emphasize the poetic quality of his writing. In Yukiguni (Snow Country) for instance, the imagery employed is especially effective and beautiful in telling the emotionally charged love story of the geisha and the dilettante from Tokyo. Masao Miyoshi, in his review of Yasunari Kawabata talks about this ‘dependence of visualization’ as a result of his being essentially a short-story writer. Reiko Tsukimara in ‘A Thematic Study of the Works of Kawabata Yasunari’ ide ntifies ‘ryoshu’ and ‘aishu’ as two primary elements in Kawabata’s work. Ryoshu is described as an ‘intense emotional realization that you have found a home of your soul’ and aishu translates to ‘sorrow’ (Tsukimara 23). According to Tsukimara, these two emotions recur in Kawabata’s writing most persistently. They appear together as the recognition of finding a home for one’s soul or ryoshu is accompanied by a sense of profound sorrow or aishu as well. This paper will seek to explore what previous scholars have already commented on Kawabata’s writing technique and thematic concerns and test them on what has been called his masterpiece by Edward G. Seidensticker, Yukiguni or Snow Country. The paper will also explore if there are departures from his usual style and from what scholars like Tsukimara and Miyoshi assert. And finally, it will attempt to make fresh observations on Kawabata’s style through the study of Snow Country. Snow Country began as a short story that was published in 1935 in a literary journal. It was published serially, with Kawabata reworking later, between 1935 and 1937. A new ending and a collation of seven pre-existing versions appeared in 1937. Kawabata again worked on the story and between 1940 and 1941 the story was again published in journals in two sections. These two sections were merged by Kawabata in 1946, with another piece added in 1947. The book as it stands today was the result of combining nine previous versions, published in 1948 (Seidensticker). This complex and long publication history of the story and the its ‘piecemeal’ nature as Seidensticker calls it in his introduction to Snow Country’s translation reiterates the idea of Kawabata as being primarily a short-story writer. The repeated editing and elaborating of what began as a

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Fiji's relative global economic development Essay

Fiji's relative global economic development - Essay Example Till the 1980s, the descendants of Indian laborers that the British had brought on the islands dominated the country. Since 1987, the islands have faced a number of military coups that have disrupted attempts to form a democracy. The 1990 constitution of Fiji strengthened the powers of the native Melanesian community over the political scenario although an amendment in 1997 gave equal powers to the Indians and the natives. However, political turmoil has continued in the islands resulting in disturbances in the economic activities of the population and trade relations with the rest of the world (CIA). Fiji had an estimated population of 918,675 in 2007, of which 30.9 percent is below 15 years of age, 64.7 percent between 15 and 64 years and 4.4 percent above 64 years (CIA). 54.8 percent of the population are native Fijians, mostly Melanesian and Polynesian mix, 37.4 percent Indians and the remaining 7.9 percent others comprising of Europeans, other Pacific islanders and Chinese. About 92 percent of the Fijian population is literate (Bank of Hawaii, 1998). Fiji is richly endowed with natural resources, with forest, fish and mineral assets and is among the most developed among the Pacific Ocean islands. Yet, the economy of Fiji is still dependent on revenues from sugar export, tourism and remittances from Fijians abroad. 8.9 percent of Fiji's GDP of $2.033 billion in 2007 was accounted for by agriculture, 13.5 percent by industry and 77.6 percent by services, mostly tourism. One third of Fiji's industrial activity is related to sugar but processing of sugar is inefficient. Fiji exports most of the sugar output to Europe and may be hit by proposed subsidy cuts on sugar by the European Union. Tourism has also been affected by the repeated coups in the country. The Reserve Bank of Fiji anticipated a contraction of the economy by 3.1 percent in 2007-08 (CIA) and a runaway current account deficit, which was 23 percent of GDP in 2006. Relative Economic Development and Concerns Fiji ranks 92nd in the Human Development Index (HDI) and in terms of per capita Gross Domestic Product at Purchasing Power Parity, with $6,049 and 108th in terms of life expectancy at birth, which is 68 years (HDR). In 1998, Fiji ranked top of the World Bank's list of lower-middle income group countries and was in the same category as Latvia, Peru, Lebanon and Costa Rica (Bank of Hawaii, 1998). However, political instability and lack of industrial activity have resulted in some contraction of the economy since then. Fiji is a small country, slightly smaller than New Jersey. The economy is also far smaller than the United States. The per capita GDP at official rates in Fiji in 2007 was $4,100, less than one-tenth of what it was in the US, at $46,000. Life expectancy at birth in Fiji, at 68 years, was also lower than in the US, 78 years. Population below the poverty line in Fiji in the last estimated year, 1990-91 was 25.5 percent and the unemployment rate was 7.6 percent. On the other hand, only 12.4 percent of the population in the US was below the poverty line in 2004 and the unemployment rate in 2007 was 4.6 percent. Fiji exports primary products, mostly agricultural to the US and Europe, and imports manufactured commodities. The major concern for the Fijian economy is the political uncertainty that the islands have been facing over the last two decades. This has resulted in

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The movie Amadeus Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Amadeus - Movie Review Example The perception of Salieri is characteristic of many people in the society who fails to understand that in some cases talent fail to go together with reputation. Due to the limited introduction in the first meeting in Archbishops palace Salieri relies on the offstage irrelevance symptoms in Mozart and feels that there is little that can come out of such a personality (Ebert 151-3).Their close interaction exposes the true picture of Salieri when Mozart stands out in composition and performance. The ability of Mozart significantly shakes the faith of Salieri as he senses danger of being displaced and losing the battle of musical supremacy to this new entrant. Salieri’s previous misconception was based on poor ability to distinguish between reputation and intrinsic talent. He failed to realize that God use people to express unique differences and when Mozart critiques and refine March of Welcome with immediate popularity Salieri are surprised. It is evident from the film that Salieri was a devoted God fearing man who hinged his entire dreams of hitting the heights of music through serving in the court. It seems he arrived before Mozart and remained the shining start before his skills are overtaken with the arrival of his perceived competitor. Since Salieri was previously the finest composer in the court for the emperor, he held the title of "brightest star" in Viennas musical life (Ebert 151-3). By occupying a central place in the heart of the emperor as far as his musical talent was concerned, Salieri could not imagine of getting challenged until Mozart arrived. The discontent of Salieri in his ability is seen from Mozart’s emergence to redo the composition of Salieri and turn it into what becomes the Non pià ¹ andrai which touches even the attention of Salieri’s own wife. Imagining of how God is using Mozart to produce a refined set piece in music drives Salieri jealous and overlooks the praises he had got from the emperor. The

Monday, September 23, 2019

Why did the United States invade Iraq Term Paper

Why did the United States invade Iraq - Term Paper Example Therefore if a state functions within its own territories in a way that causes massive violations of these essential principles like manufacturing weapons of mass destructions or carrying out activities like genocide, then it is indeed a potential threat to the world community. The maxim â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere† is very relevant here. The world has become a small global village wherein we are so interconnected that the act of one will affect another directly or indirectly. Actions of each and every state are now a matter of concern and should be closely scrutinized to prevent an era of disharmony leading to a situation like that of world wars. In the decades following the horrors of World War II and the genocide of European Jews, the world community was shocked and UN spurred by these terrible crimes demonstrated the renewed political will of bringing together the nations to combat any such threat to world peace and welfare in future. It has now become a general principle accepted both in  law  and practice that imperialism and foreign invasion were antithetical to the right of self-determination, which was understood to be the basis of the post-World War II worldwide  order. In the light of above mentioned principles of international law and its protected principles, an attempt has been made here to study the reason and legality of US’s attack on Iraq on various ground. ... We are still in a speculation mode regarding why exactly USA invaded Iraq; whether the motive was to actually disarm them of any weapons of mass destruction or was it because Bush administration eyed the oil wells of Iraq. In the era where the international values are â€Å"peace, security and the well being of the world†, it is not at all acceptable that a country wage war on another country for selfish ulterior motives, under the garb of protecting the noble principles of international law. Thus there is no denying the fact that there is an utmost urgency to probe into the reasons of such invasions. The USA’s invasion was criticized as illegal war legalized by misusing the international principles. If this is true then we are facing a very imminent threat posed by the developed countries to developing countries and this war will act as a bad international precedent for the same. Hence the actual reason behind the invasion of Iraq is a million dollar question. HISTORIC AL PERSPECTIVE USA and its allies attacked Iraq under the pretext that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction and it was likely that he would pass along those arms to al Qaeda. However the validity of such a ground was later found to be highly diluted. Experts thereafter postulated that we cannot all together rule out the possibility that this war was the outcome of enigmatic psychology of bush, particularly with respect to his relationship with his father along with the irresistible temptation of getting a strong hold over the prized Mesopotamian oil fields. Possibly he sought to "finish the job" that his father had begun in 1991 or may be to avenge Hussein who was alleged to have made attempts to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Should college athletes be paid Essay Example for Free

Should college athletes be paid Essay Should College Athletes be Paid? Maybe it was the annual spectacle of March Madness and the fact that UCONN came out of nowhere as an underdog to win their 3rd national NCAA men’s basketball title. Maybe it was the excitement of watching the UCONN football team playing in its first ever BCS Bowl against Oklahoma last year. Whatever he reason, the media and sports critics always ignite a fresh debate over the merits of paying college athletes for their services to the schools. Over the past few months, PBS, ESPN and HBO each aired major specials and documentaries on the relative injustices or justice – deepening our your view of the current college Division 1 (D1) system that allows amateur players to generate billions (that is correct, billions) in revenue each year for their respective schools and the NCAA organization, but prohibits them from receiving a dime of it or any compensation that might be offered from other sources deemed private or public. Coaches can sign multimillion-dollar contracts, endorse products, and rake in lucrative speaking fees. Is this fair? Are we being ethical and righteousness treating young and innocent individuals in this matter? Should we as a society allow these individuals to be taken advantaged in this matter? These are just a few questions many people ask, and the answers are not clear-cut as one might think. To pay or not to pay? The question everyone asks every year since the explosion of D1 College sports over the past couple of decades. The debate over the pros and cons in paying college athletes won’t end until changes are made or someone does something about the current system. My goal throughout this paper will be to present and clarify some of these arguments and why someone could make changes amendable to everyone involved. I will focus my arguments and debate on three major issues. (1) Should we pay students athletes and how much should they be paid? (2) How would they get paid and the challenges in managing this process, can the schools afford it? (3) And finally, what ethical issues, if any, would this pose to our schools and society at large? In conclusion, I will share my opinion and recommendation on what should be done to address this ongoing dispute. My discussion through out this paper will focus on  the â€Å"Primetime† college sports programs in the NCAA; Men’s College Basketball and College Football. As these two sports represent virtually the face of the NCAA and college sports on TV and to the public. While the other college sports are as important to student athletes and schools, they don’t drive the same level of viewing power and revenue numbers for the NCAA and their respective schools. In my opinion college is suppose to be a place you go to earn an education an d determine your future career. Although many college athletes are going to the school that offers them the most money potential at the next level of their carriers, paying the athletes based on their current star power or future potential could have the potential to turn the entire college arena into a bidding war. You would stop seeing athletes go to a place because of tradition or loyalty, but instead to whom would pay them the most money. This in turn would kill the magic of college sports and the purity of the game. Where only a few large schools would have enough capital and buying power to buy the top performing and premier student athletes. If this would to happen, the Butler Bulldogs would have never made it to the NCAA College Basketball finals against UCONN just this past May, as Butler could never compete with the deep pockets of schools like Duke, Syracuse, UCONN, and Georgetown, just to name a few. You may also see free agency enter college sports. Although they would have to sit a year, what would stop players from jumping universities because of money? It would dramatically change the college sport world, as we know it today. Butler again comes to mind, as most of their top athletes would jump ship to another school after they finished 2nd in the 2010 NCCA finals, in the hope of getting more money. In the long run, paying college athletes will make it ok to pay non professional athletes and thus you could then see high schools develop the same principles. If you are paying a player at the college level because they bring in money, then Bloomfield High, New Britain high and other dominant high schools would do the same, and you then re-create the problems I already mentioned. While the arguments above raise good concerns, I do have some major issues with college athletes not getting paid as well. If an ordinary student receives a grant or scholarship based on their intellectual power of monetary limitations, then its perfectly legal for the student to get a job while in college and use that money for whatever they want. Ive seen this happen. One of my friends in college got a $50K  scholarship to Northeastern; no strings attached (except for keeping up the GPA), paid tuition with that money, and then used his talents after schools hours to become an independent contractor whil e still attending school. He made enough money on the side to buy a used car in cash and pay for a couple of spring break vacations and a few other â€Å"luxuries† currently unavailable to college athletes. While college athletes get free room, board, books, tuition and fees covered by the scholarship, they don’t have the luxury or option to earn extra money for additional expenses (car, travel, vacation, nice dinner, etc.) as they spend most if not all of their time practicing or traveling when outside the classroom, limiting the amount of time they have to find any part time job. On the other hand, they are plenty of non-athletic students in college who have an equally difficult time having a normative college experience because the job that they do work is used to cover the enormous expense of room, board, books, tuition and fees. Furthermore, many of those non-athlete students have to take on mounds and mounds of debt to be able to afford the very things the athletes are given. I bet more than a few of them would gladly give up their play money for the chance to finish college without being $100-150k in the hole. That being said, I am convinced that student athletes deserve t he same opportunity regular students have. They should have the opportunity to earn additional money to cover expenses currently covered by their parents, friends family or bank loans. Do I feel that the players should be paid some amount of money to pay for additional expenses? Yes. The amount of money these kids generate is in the Billions and they get nothing (monetary) in return, as if these athletes use college as the tool that it is, then they should at least be getting an education. However, it does not make sense for college players to have no money and barely able to get by, while someone makes a substantial amount of money off their talents. However, the payment should be controlled and limited to a defined amount. More on this a little later. In the past, Maryland’s head basketball coach Gary Williams made a public statement in which he denounced the present system of not paying athletes. His proposal was to give those players in revenue-producing sports a stipend of $200/month. While I agree with Mr. Williams approach and argument, I disagree with the payment amount and structure. In my opinion his argument makes perfect sense and achieves a realist solution. He  points out that college athletics – specifically basketball and football are making a fortune for the NCAA, the schools, the coaches, the staff and filtering down to just about everyone else in the athletic department and sometimes even to other parts of the school. However, not a c ent is being given to those who are actually providing the product on the court and field. You know, the product that we love to watch and talk about during water breaks in the office, the product that creates so much exhilaration every weekend to millions of people across the US and world! Again, I realize the argument is that they are being given free housing and a free scholarship, etc. The problem is that there isn’t another kid at the school that has to have a life based upon $0 extra income to buy what he wants. As I mentioned above, these individuals don’t have the time to work and earn extra money, so they will be tempted to take some extra cash or a trip or a meal at a fancy restaurant from a â€Å"friend† or â€Å"acutance†. Who wouldn’t be? And there lies the problem. The student athletes under the current system will always be faced with the hard decision not to break the rules and laws, which honestly, other students don’t have to deal with. As I pointed out before and Williams makes the same point, regular kids are allowed to receive living expenses and spending money as part of financial aid from family, friends or even strangers. Since athletes cannot, they are clearly being discriminated against. The student athlete might bring thousands if not millions of dollars to the school and more importantly the NCAA in one way or the other, but how much does any other student bring to the school? In addition to the moral argument of making students paid employees of the school while attending school, there’s the cost argument. Can the NCAA and schools really afford it? The answer might surprise and shock you at the same time. The NCAA negotiated an $11 Billion (with a B) deal for the 2011 NCAA tournament. Not the regular season, just the tournament – and that’s just NCAA basketball. Doing some analysis show that, there are 346 Division One schools in basketball. If each one of them has 13 players, that’s 4,498 players. Divide $11 Billion by 4,498 and you get†¦ over $2 million per player! These figures clearly indicate that both the NCAA and schools could afford to pay the students athletes some monetary figure, more on that later. Clearly the argument is no longer about money! Or is it? Between 2004 and 2010, fewer than 7 percent of all Division I sports programs  generated positive net revenue, according to NCAA data. Fewer than 12 percent of all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools — 14 out of 120 — did so in fiscal year 2009. For that matter, the NCAA reports that only 50 percent to 60 percent of FBS football and basketball programs make money. In other word s, a significant chunk of top-level FBS programs are losing money. Should those programs be obliged to pay their football and basketball players, even though they aren’t actually producing a net profit. Paying student athletes large sums of money based on their natural ability would destroy the college sports, as we know it today and potential drive schools out of business into bankruptcy. Obviously a large majority of D-1 schools can’t afford to pay students athletes even if it was legal today. So, where’s the money going? As I mentioned before, the NCAA is signing record deals with the networks, shouldn’t that money go back to the schools? Nobody can answer this question with certainty, but one thing is clear, the NCAA could afford to compensate the student athletes, based on their current revenue streams. My recommended solution will address this disparity in D-1 schools and their ability to lash out money to pay student athletes. Indeed, with many coaches and college experts, the biggest problem with paying players isnt a money issue. Its the legal and structural chaos that would result. In an interview with PBSs Frontline that aired a few weeks back, NCAA president Mark Emmert said it would be utterly unacceptable to convert students into employees. Emmert had reason to be adamant. What happens when college athletes become employees? Can they collectively bargain? Can they strike? Do injured players receive workmans comp? Are players at state schools eligible for subsequent retirement benefits? Do only football and mens basketball players receive salaries? Should a star point guard earn more than a third-string center? Should an All-American quarterback earn more than his entire offensive line? Who decides and who controls all of these decisions? The NCAA? The School? Since student athletes are prohibited in gathering any additional money, the NCAA is making efforts to help support the future of college sports by helping to funnel $750 million over 11 years into funds strictly designed to benefit these athletes. This money is ideally going to be used by the NCAA to help fund student-athletes who are looking for clothing, emergency travel, educational and medical expenses, personal needs and also a injury  insurance. Even though this is a very nice touch by the NCAA organization, it however does not address the real issue of allowing college athletes in earning money, which can be used a the discretion of the student-athlete. Until that day comes, the future student-athletes have a lot of hard work, dedication and lessons to be learned from before they are all worthy enough of being able to accept salaries for their individual efforts. It is a fact that since its birth, the NCAA has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry and some experts feel college athletes should begin to benefit financially from the large revenues. The NCAA brought in more than a billion dollars more than what the NBA generated globally in the 2009-10 season, according to the most recent estimate from Forbes. One of the biggest revenue-creating sports a part of the NCAA today is college football that has come a long way since the establishment of the Harvard, Yale and Princeton football association. Recently in the last five years a few football teams have financially stood out amongst their competitors in the NCAA. NCAA players, coaches and officials constantly argue for the paying of student-athletes because for them the primary reason for massive profit earnings is due to the thanks of the hard work of their student-athletes. College athletes are constantly seeing their jersey numbers on the racks of their campus bookstores but instead of seeing any of the profits all they see is their coaches racking in multi-million dollar contracts year after year. In total there are 119 Division I-A football teams competing in the NCAA today and out of those a reported 42 of those team’s coaches received more than $1 million salaries, at least nine receiving more than $2 million. In Basketball, the University of Connecticut last year signed a 5-year contract with coach Jim Calhoun worth approximately $11M – including speaking and media fees. This is one of the biggest reasons why players argue for their own salary incomes due to the financial successes of their own coaches and seeing them living extravagant lifestyles. Meanwhile, would each salaried player on a given team be paid the same amount? If not, who would decide whether the All-American linebacker deserved more money than the All-American wide receiver, or whether Kemba Walker was more valuable than the star power forward, Jeremy Lamb. Would 18-year-olds be negotiating â€Å"contracts† with officials in their athletic department? Would they be hiring agents before high-school graduation? And how would all this affect  those sports programs that depend on football and basketball revenue to stay afloat? To pose an discuss these questions is to realize that paying college athletes merit salaries based on their â€Å"book value† is simply unrealistic and unfeasible. Still, the current NCAA rules are deeply flawed, and many players are indeed being ex ploited. Let’s face it: Big-time college football and basketball basically function as minor-league systems for the NFL and the NBA, respectively, while creating massive profits for everyone except the athletes. Scholarships are financially valuable, sure. But according to many experts, the average scholarship falls about $5,000 short of covering an athlete’s â€Å"essential† college expenses. Closing that gap — My proposed solution would address the majority of these concerns, if not completely eliminate them. Many experts have reach a determination that college sports have already effectively become professionalized. Given the N.C.A.A.’s abandonment of standard honored amateur principles, many experts argued, that there’s not a good enough reason preventing athletes from engaging in the same entrepreneurial activities as their celebrity coaches. Big-time college athletes should be able to endorse products, get paid for speaking engagements and be compensated for the use of their likenesses on licensed products. After all, aren’t non-athlete students allowed to go on a TV show like â€Å"MTV SpringBreak† and receive money for their appearances and efforts? If non-athletes students are a llowed, why can’t students athletes appear on ESPN shows and get paid for it? They should! They should be allowed to also negotiate an actual contract with the N.B.A. as part of a final project in a finance class, and have an agent from the day they decide to. In the past few years, the NCAA has cracked down on players taking illegal benefits from â€Å"agents and boosters†. USC was under two years of probation for the Reggie Bush affair. Cecil Newton openly shopped his son around to SEC schools. And just a few months back, the University of Connecticut was found guilty and punished by the NCAA for violating its rules and laws. Schools, coaches and athletes decide to take these risks and break the rules because they know what’s a stake, millions and millions of dollars. All of these things are clearly against NCAA rules, but how fair are the rules? We all know how much money colleges bring in off of the hard work of these kids, and we all know what its like to be young and poor. Should college football players be paid or at least allowed to accept benefits? After long  hours of research, deliberation and studying both sides of the argument in paying student athletes for their services to the NCAA and respective schools, I came up with the following recommendations. Frist and foremost, student athletes should continue to receive scholarships from their schools with the same benefits as they receive today. I also think that we should not pay large salaries to these athletes based on their personal ability or star potential as it would turn college into even more of a business and less of an academic institution. Furthermore if would open the floodgates for paying athletes very large sums of money. It has been said again and again; more money more pr oblems. However, I also believe that it is unfair for these athletes not to receive anything for the services they provide to their schools which yield millions and millions of dollars in profits, prestige recognition and increase in student enrollments, all very positive for the school’s bottom line. In my opinion, students’ athletes should receive from the NCAA NOT their schools a yearly payment (for all 4 years) equal to the average school annual tuition amount– in other words, take all D1 schools, average out the full tuition across all schools and make that the payment to every school athlete. This money would come from the lucrative contracts the NCAA signs with TV networks, clothing companies, etc. While in some cases this represents more income than what students could need, it would eliminate calculating complex and unfair student payments, and give student athletes additional spending money. It would also avoid any student athlete from choosing one school over the other because of this payment, as it would be the same independent of what school they eventually select. This approach would also eliminate the fact that a majority of D-1 schools have a negative balance sheet and realistically can’t afford to pay any student athlete’s salaries. If not else, it certainly would be a great deterrent for the vast majority of otherwise good players, but not ready to jump to the NFL or NBA early.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream The play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Williams Shakespeare contains two distinctly different subplots within the lager structure of itself, which can be considered as a remarkable characteristic of the dramatic construction in general and of Shakespeare’s play in particular. Although Shakespeare borrows the themes, characters and stories from the history of the ancient Greece and Greek mythology, the play-within-a-play structure shows his creations and his own work. The play-within-a-play structure serves the function of recapping many important themes of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and allows Shakespeare to comment on the nature of art as well as criticize the acting of amateurs who perform and play on the stage yet do not understand what they actually do. The first play-within-a-play is a performance of Pyramus and Thisbe played by the laborers. It is similar to the main play in many aspects including commons in the story of the Athenian lovers and some of the overall themes. Pyramus and Thisbe face parental disapproval in the subplot just like the couple Lysander and Hermia do in the main plot. Despite its dramatic premise, the craftsmen play the love story of Pyramus and Thisbe in such a comical way that parodies the melodramatic Athenian lovers and gives the play a very joyful and comical ending. The role played by the darkness of night creates another similarity as it causes the romantic confusion in both plays. Pyramus, in the dark of the night, mistakenly believes that Thisbe has been killed by the lion when he sees her bloody mantle; he, thus, commits suicide because of this misinterpretation. Likewise, the mix-ups and meddling of the love fairy Puck cause the Athenian lovers face a miserable situation, which also happens at ni ght in the wood. Though the performance of the craftsmen makes the Athenian lovers’ story which involves strong emotions become comical and hilarious, the sub play serves as symbol for the larger play itself. It is explained while the lovers and Theseus and Hippolyta are mocking the ridiculous performance of the laborers, the audiences watching the lovers watch the craftsmen’s play are concurrently aware of the lovers’ own absurdity. Moreover, the play-within-a-play of the craftsmen suggests the strict requirements and the limit of the theatre. The workmen establish a very unlikely dramatic troupe. All of these characters appear comical because of their superficial characteristics and personal traits. They bumble, mispronounce words, and play the part of the fools. These untutored craftsmen are worried about their new dramatic roles for Pyramus, Thisbe, a wall, a lion, and a moon since none of them has had a previous acting experience. In spite of their preoccupation, the leader of the troupe Quince fails to help the actors correct their pronunciation and master important techniques for dramatic performance. During the rehearsal time, instead, he only tries to match the actors in hope that they will play out. On one hand, the play-within-a-play is offered as a comic interlude to display Shakespeare’s creativity. One the other hand, the sub play helps the audiences understand some of the overall themes in t he main play. That is, the play does not clearly explain how the craftsmen come together and how or by whom they are selected to be worthy to play. These characters and the sub play they perform exist to raise questions about the fitness for acting a certain role in a play. The issue of whom is worthy to putting on a play is also one of the concerns in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Another aspect of this issue comprising who is responsible for bringing a play to the audiences or what thoughts and actions are proper in order to bring a play to stage should be also concerned. The conversations among the craftsmen-actors in which they argue whether they can bring an actual wall to stage and conclude that it is impossible to carry out demonstrate this point. Another play which can be considered as a second play-within-a-play is written by the Oberon, the King of all fairies. He creates a play in which the mortals are the performers. Marriage and reconciliation are the means for resolving all conflicts. In Oberon’s play, Helena gets her love, Lysander and Hermia stays together, and Titania has a lesson of obedience. As the workmen turn the tragic drama of the Athenian lovers into a comic farce by their awful performance, Oberon does the same when his fairy Puck accidentally put the love potion on eyes of the wrong Athenian man. This mistake causes the Athenian lovers experience an intensive misery, which also creates a comical situation. Similar to the first play-within-a-play, the second serves an important role to signify the larger play. In â€Å"What hempen home-spuns have we swagg’ring here?† Amateur Actors in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Coventry Civic Play and Pageants, Clifford Davidson discusses the play-within-a-play structure and its purpose. He indicates that the play-within-a-play raises questions of imagination and stage reality (Davidson 87). Also, the author argues that Shakespeare uses this structure to parody the older dramatic styles of the public theaters fashionable when they tended to use the bombastic language and clumsily use the mythological subjects in their performance (Davidson 88). Above that, Davidson points out a very important issue that Shakespeare makes a comparison between the inadequate of the acting amateurs and the highly professional work conducted by his own company through the parody with the acting of the craftsmen in the subplot (88). According to the author, however, Shakespeare seems to have a negative view on the play and the players in many provincial cities and towns, which probably can cause severe misrepresentation about the quality of the amateur actors or companies (96). Davidson explains that by saying that â€Å"for the spectacles that cities like Coventry were able to mount were surely not so rough and â€Å"amateurish† as we might imagine† or â€Å"the quality of the production were surely much, much higher that Shakespeare’s play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night’ Dream would seem to suggest† (96). The play-within-a-play is analyzed studied from a different point of view in the article The Act of Change in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Alan Bellringer explores the art of acting which he claims is â€Å"a valid part of the art of living† and its importance (213). He asserts that â€Å"the sub plot about the Athenian workmen’s underserved success in the amateur dramatic competition is thematically relevant and supportive† (Bellringer 213). On the other hand, the author sees acting and plays as a mean for normal, simple and blundering people like the character Bottom to â€Å"escape from their stereotyped tradesmen’s personalities through their imaginative art of drama, the world of ‘shadows’†. Through the play and acting, these craftsmen-actors can â€Å"briefly change their status in life† and â€Å"find fulfillment in their new-found importance as actors†. Regardless of â€Å"a mere matter of talented extroverti sm†, Bellringer compliments the performance of the craftsmen for their contribution to the success of the play even though it is intended as a ridiculous performance used to satirize the dramatic play of Pyramus and Thisbe and turn it into a comical play (215). He stresses the dynamism as the essential quality of this comedy and states that the purpose of play-within-a-play is about the â€Å"use of change† or the â€Å"amendment of life† (Bellringer 217). The play-within-a-play structure recaps the principles themes and ideas of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and has a significant contribution as a representation of the main play. The similarities in the sub play clarify the overall scheme. It also serves as a tool for Shakespeare’s creative work and a mean for the audiences to distinguish between the fiction and reality and realize the nature of art in theatre. Works Cited Bellringer, â€Å"The Act of Change in a Midsummer Night’s Dream†. English Studies 64.3 (1983): 201-17. International Bibliography of Theatre Dance. Wed. 10 Apr. 2014. Davidson, Clifford. â€Å"†What hempen home-spuns have we swagg’ring here?† Amateur Actors in a Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Coventry Civic Plays and Pageants†. Shakespeare Studies 19 (1987): 87-96. International Bibliography of Theatre Dance. Wed. 10 Apr. 2014.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Value of Knowledge Produced with Difficulty

Value of Knowledge Produced with Difficulty It is only knowledge produced with difficulty that we truly value. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Introduction Across different knowledge areas, from the natural sciences to the arts, defining knowledge produced with difficulty is difficult.   Truly, interpretations are subject specific. In the sciences, rigorously following the scientific method and developing a sophisticated, valid theory or model requires a high level of reasoning and experimentation, which is arguably always a difficult process. In the arts, it is far more challenging to define knowledge as being produced easily or with difficulty. In this essay, knowledge in the arts is specified to its production. Determining the degree of difficulty involved is subjective, and largely depends on which aspects of knowledge are involved in the production of the visual arts: does the production of the work involve technical skill, procedural, and conceptual knowledge? To what extent are reason, emotion, and sense perception involved? In this essay, I aim to show that knowledge produced with difficulty is valued to a lesser extent in the natural sciences. In the arts, it is both knowledge produced with ease and difficulty which is accepted by consensus and valued. Hence, one cannot state that only knowledge produced with difficulty is valued. To what extent is knowledge produced with difficulty valued in the natural sciences? Knowledge produced with a lack of difficulty is valued in the scientific community. There is no greater supporter of this claim than physicist Richard Feynman, a keen populariser of a simple approach to physics. Feynmans widely used pictorial representation, known as Feynman diagrams, visualise the abstract formula of quantum electrodynamics in a simple, mathematical manner. Feynman first introduced the diagrams as a bookkeeping device for simplifying lengthy calculations (Kaiser 4). Using stick-figure lines, Feynman brought back Newtons fundamental approach to the problem, without the complicated knowledge based on new technological advances. The mathematical nature of Feynmans diagrams approaches the complexity of quantum physics with simple logic. An axiomatic system can be expressed in the simplest of terms, yet remains valid, sophisticated, and with a high level of reasoning. The success of Feynman diagrams lie in their simplicity: they are fundamental to our understanding of th e complexity of the natural world, whilst not being produced with great difficulty. However, is it possible that Feynmans rare genius renders him an exception? Arguably, intuition and a natural ability to see simple patterns in complex problems led him to produce this model. Regardless, the natural sciences are based on mathematics. Successful mathematical knowledge represents a pattern in its simplest form. Scientific models aim to accurately represent the natural world in an understandable manner. Therefore, Feynman diagrams, which are based on mathematical, simplistic knowledge are a valued model. Hence, knowledge produced with simplicity is valued in the sciences as well. Yet, simplicity in the natural sciences may also lead to knowledge which is discarded. An example of this are superseded, simple scientific theories, such as the Fleischmann-Pons experiment in the 1980s, which lead to the apparent discovery of cold fusion. Involving electrolysis, it was a dream discovery: a simple experiment with results that reshape our understanding (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 1). Unlike Feynmans diagrams, the experiment was heavily faulted in almost all stages of the scientific method. Fleischmann-Pons results were unable to be replicated and hence not verified. The scientists were criticised to have a lack of knowledge of physics and refused to collaborate with experts, limiting their access to shared and past knowledge on fusion (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 5). Furthermore, in a rush to publish, they did not conduct simple and obvious experiments which would have provided key evidence to support or undermine their hyp othesis, and there was a lack of repeatability (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 7). Hence, the Fleischmann-Pons experiment was simple, yet invalid, as in their simplicity, the scientists did not rigorously follow the scientific method. But, was the root of their problems solely the simplicity of their experiment? The experiment was influenced by extraneous variables such as flaws in reasoning, peer review, and observation. Faults in the scientific method effect both simple and difficult experiments. Therefore, my claim remains valid: predominantly, knowledge in the natural sciences is valued due to its logical simplicity, leading to applicability, but is usually the result of a detailed, systematic effort that could be seen as difficult. To what extent is knowledge produced with difficulty valued in the arts? Knowledge in the arts is valued regardless and perhaps because of, its lack of difficulty. As Degas said, painting is easy when you dont know how, and arguably, Jackson Pollocks action paintings have a lack of naturalistic, formal qualities, and composition which previously defined painting (Edgar Degas. 1). Pollock defied consensus through his cathartic process in which he lay a canvas on the floor and splattered paint with hardened brushes. Pollock relied on emotion, intuition, and a lack of reason, as he states, when Im painting, Im not aware of what Im doing (Jackson Pollock Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. 1). Furthermore, Pollock produced procedural, conceptual, theoretical, and cultural knowledge, as he is seen as a key figure of abstract expressionism. However, is this solely due to his artistic skill and knowledge thereof? In the case of Pollock, the role of circumstance could be considered. Peggy Guggenheim, who acted as his patron, contributed heavily to his success (How Peggy Guggenheim Made Jackson Pollock. 1). Furthermore, Pollock successfully read the art scene at that specific time. His understanding of the need to break consensus in the arts post-war demonstrates strong cultural knowledge. Hence, Pollock should not be treated as an exception. Defying consensus by implementing a lack of difficulty praised by old-masters in terms of reason, technical and procedural knowledge, has often characterised greatness in the arts. It is the nature of art to redefine itself. As the viewer, we ache for the new and exciting, whereas the artist yearns to stand out from others. Therefore, this claims supports my thesis. However, a counterclaim to this idea is that there are certain, rigid qualities that define a truly great artwork, being that it is only knowledge produced with great difficulty in the arts that we value. An example of this Thà ©odore Gà ©ricaults 1819 Raft of the Medusa, an impressive oil painting depicting the aftermath of a shipwreck. Gà ©ricaults interviewed survivors, visited morgues [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] and filled his flat with body parts, including a severed head (Peregrine 1), and reconstructed the original raft itself (Puchko 1). The project took a total of eighteen months. Arguably, the famous status of the work is reliant on Gà ©ricaults research, being a combination of sense perception and emotion, as he yearned to paint the dramatic, intense event as the Old Masters might have done, leaving nothing to chance or fantasy (Christiansen 1), indicating the involvement of reason, too. The accuracy of the work required great technical skill and procedural knowledge, as well as a stroke of rare genius. Today, the work is regarded as an icon of Romanticism (Laborie 1) due to Gà ©ricaults undoubtedly difficult process of knowledge production. However, initially, the painting failed to bring him the [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] public success he craved (Christiansen 1). Therefore, can one truly say the work was always valued by consensus? The original Medusa remained a politically sensitive matter, and its image was far too disconcerting and repulsive to popularise Gà ©ricault (Christiansen 1). Therefore, in Gà ©ricaults and the communitys eyes, the work originally failed and was not always valued, despite the difficulty of producing the work. It is reductionist to state that it is only knowledge produced with difficulty that is valued. Hence, this counterclaim does not undermine my thesis. Conclusion Overall, it is not only knowledge produced with difficulty that is valued. In the arts, both works produced with ease and difficulty are valid, whereas in the sciences, it is often the simplest theories are often valued the most. Logical induction and valid reasoning is central to knowledge in the natural sciences. Commonly, the simplest theories and experiments can provide this, as they stress fundamental, valid principles and facts which cannot be disproven, such as mathematical knowledge. Even experiments undermining my thesis, such as Fleischmann-Pons, contribute to science through their simplicity. According to Karl Poppers theorem of falsifiability, disproving a hypothesis is central to the natural sciences. Valuable lessons can be learnt from Fleischmann-Pons, such as the importance of the scientific method. Hence, regardless of its validity, knowledge produced with simplicity is valued in the sciences. Contrarily, in the arts, the production of knowledge is difficult to pinpo int as difficult or simple. Arguably, one could state than any creation of an artwork involves a difficult technique, high reasoning, or specialist sense perception in their eyes. Subsequently, it is both knowledge produced with ease and difficulty that is valued in the arts. However, does this make all art a masterpiece? If I say the creation of an artwork was difficult for me, does this make me an old-master, and put me on the same level as Gà ©ricault? The implications of my thesis in terms of the natural sciences is that if knowledge produced with difficulty is valued to a lesser extent, does this diminish knowledge produced with difficulty? Arguably, invalid knowledge produced with difficulty is valued: we learn from mistakes in their extensive, rigorous reasoning or methodology and produce valid knowledge from these improvements. Therefore, even invalid knowledge produced with difficulty should not be entirely discarded. In the arts, stating that both knowledge produced with or without difficulty is valued leaves us with a very broad and inclusive definition of what makes art great. This minimises the role of gatekeepers of knowledge, and leads us to question consensus in the arts. Yet, if ways of knowing- in Pollocks case intuition, in Gà ©ricaults sense perception- determine the value of art, this implies that art is a way of thinking rather than a form of expression. Furthermore, if, as in Pollocks case, art is valued due to it breaking previous consensus, this severely undermines the role of consensus. This leads me to wonder if we should question the value of art at all, and if we should instead simply create art for arts sake. Word Count: 1599 Works Cited Edgar Degas. BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 17 December 2016. How Peggy Guggenheim Made Jackson Pollock. Phaidon. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Jackson Pollock Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Christiansen, Rupert. The Victorian Visitors: Culture Shock in Nineteenth-Century Britain. New York Times Books, 2000. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior. N.p.: The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California, 2012. PDF. Kaiser, David. Drawing Theories Apart: The Dispersion of Feynman Diagrams in Postwar Physics. N.p.: U of Chicago, 2005. Google Books. Web. 16 Dec. 2016. Laborie, Sà ©verine. The Raft of the Medusa. The Raft of the Medusa | Louvre Museum | Paris. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Peregrine, Anthony. Raft of the Medusa: A Grisly Tale of Incompetence and Cannibalism. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 12 July 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Public Speaking :: essays research papers

A Moment of Immense Success Over the years, I have always admired those who have had great accomplishments in their lives. Since graduating from high school in 1989, my experiences have been mixed but they have been largely good. Some of my experiences included serving in the military for seven years, living and working in Germany for 12 years, and learning a foreign language. One person who I greatly admire for her public speaking skills and overall success is Ms. Oprah Winfrey. Despite all the obstacles in her life, she has managed to overcome and accomplish many great things. Although Oprah is the richest woman in the entertainment field, she seems to be very humble, and treats everyone with the same amount of respect, whether they are rich or middle-class. In many ways, I can relate to some of the issues that she has dealt with publicly. For example, it is no secret that she has been publicly dealing with her weight going up and down. Over the years, I too have been dealing with my weight fluctuating up and down. Every time that I watch her show, I sit back with amaze on the way that she delivers her point across to her audience with such perfection. Considering that she has approximately 3 million viewers per show, and does not appear to be nervous at all. In comparison with my background in the U.S. Army, I can remember making several speeches to my soldiers, and I did not feel nervous one bit at all. In my opinion, it is very refreshing to see a celebr ity of her stature, to be so down to earth, and so giving if her time (and money). Along with the rest of world, I have grown to listen when Ms. Winfrey speaks, who is currently one of the most powerful business persons in the world. During my high school days, my grades were satisfactory, but not to boast about, you can trust me on that issue. The fact that I can seen Oprah become the person that she is today, make me want to be the best person that I can possible become. Most recently, I have decided to return to school to obtain my bachelor’s degree in business management. In addition, it is my goal to obtain my master’s degree in business administration directly after finishing my bachelor’s degree. In today’s business world, I have noticed that without a vital education, one will not be able to climb the corporate ladder.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Farewell Sermon of Muhammad :: Islam Religion Essays

The "Farewell Sermon" of Muhammad The apostle continued his pilgrimage and showed the men the rites and taught them the customs of their hajj. He made a speech in which he made things clear. He praised and glorified God, then he said: "O men, listen to my words. I do not know whether I shall ever meet you in this place again after this year. Your blood and your property are sacrosanct until you meet your Lord, as this day and this month are holy. You will surely meet your Lord and He will ask you of your works. I have told you. He who has a pledge let him return it to him who entrusted him with it; all usury is abolished, but you have your capital. Wrong not and you shall not be wronged. God has decreed that there is to be no usury and the usury of `Abbà ¢s b. `Abd al Muttalib is abolished, all of it. All blood shed in the pagan period is to be left unavenged. The first claim on blood I abolish is that of Ibn Rabà ®`a b. al Hà ¢rith b. `Abd al Muttalib (who was fostered among the Banà » Layth and whom Hudhayl killed.) It is the first blood shed in the pagan period which I deal with. Satan despairs of ever being worshiped in your land, but if he can be obeyed in anything short of worship he will be pleased in m atters you may be disposed to think of little account, so beware of him in your religion. "Postponement of a sacred month is only an excess of disbelief whereby those who disbelieve are misled; they allow it one year and forbid it another year that they may make up the number of the months which God has hallowed, so that they permit what God has forbidden, and forbid what God has allowed." [Koran 9:37] Time has completed its cycle and is as it was on the day that God created the heavens and the earth. The number of months with God is twelve; four of them are sacred, three consecutive and the Rajab of Mudar, which is between Jumà ¢dà ¢ and Sha`bà ¢n. You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you. You have the right that they should not defile your bed and that the should not behave with open unseemliness. If they do, God allows you to put them in separate rooms and to beat them but not with severity.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Importance of Books in Individual Life Essay

There is a well-defined comfort for those who visit book stores and libraries. The books are there like faithful friends waiting to be called upon, read, valued, and appreciated. Let us not also forget, however, the joy and anticipation when visiting used book stores. They are everywhere, and they all tell a story; but not only from within the pages. They have a history; they came from somewhere; they are going somewhere. If everyone who ever had possession of any given book had written their name, the city or town in which they obtained the book, the purchase price, and the date thereof, consider what an incredible account would exist about the adventures of just one book. To realize that a book may have traveled through numerous hands and a century of time is a fascinating and exciting concept. Just imagine the many lives it may have touched. With the pages perhaps yellowed, thick and dusty, or thin and delicate, the word is still alive and just as profound and beautiful as it was when it was created so long ago. Whether fictional or nonfictional, there can be derived a value, relevancy, and importance to the book. For example, consider a book written in 1918 on the history of Poland. Much could be learned about the country and the author’s perspective. But also consider what the author could not have known about the country’s future at the time of writing. It is a study in itself. It not only gives a story of Poland but an idea of how much things have changed since the book’s publication. Nothing can or should replace the book; not the internet or any other popular electronic devices. Consider the rudimentary and necessary efforts involved in the editing and critiquing of a book before it goes into print. Can the same be said for the deluge of information available on the World Wide Web on any given topic? Is the information being scrutinized to assure accuracy or grammatical correctness? Is too much being placed on the web that will only create more confusion and misinformation on any given topic? Appreciate the physical aspects. Turning the page of a book does less damage to the wrist than dragging and clicking. If a book is read through an electronic device, there is the memory of it, but not a physical reminder. For example, there is no book to place on a shelf, nothing to return to the library, or no book to pass on to a used book store. There is an undeniable feel to a book, to its texture, to an interesting cover and enticing title that invites the reader to open it. There is a sense of accomplishment as the reader makes his or her way, page after page and chapter after chapter. And at book’s end the reader will recall the intrigue, joy, and passion for beloved characters, their story, and a conclusion that may hone the reflective nature and spur the reader to seek more of the same. Books are as important now as they were during the dark ages when all stories of experiences and places would have been lost had it not been for the dedicated and devoted people who penned them onto parchment or labored over a manual typewriter.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Language and Arthur Millers skills as a dramatist Essay

â€Å"A view from the bridge† is a two-act tragic play by Arthur Miller in the mid 50s. This play puts light on the working American-Sicilian population, in particular the Carbone family, the head of which is Eddie Carbone. In this essay I will be analysing Eddie Carbone’s character whilst occasionally making comments on the language and Arthur Miller’s skills as a dramatist. Eddie is a simple, straight forward man that lives with his beloved wife and niece. Alfieri describes Eddie as a â€Å"long shore man†. He is very protective over his orphaned niece, Catherine. Arthur Miller uses informal language to show Eddie’s social class. It is worthy to note that Arthur Miller was skilfully able to come down to the status of long shore man and was able to produce speech successfully in their tone and language. Eddie is portrayed as generous, but at the same time selfish and self-protective. This is since, although he is generous to offer his home to two of his wife’s cousins, Marco and Rodolfo, he believes he is Superior. This is shown as he reminds Beatrice not to offer them his bed and he is very jealous of anyone that gets too close to Catherine. This jealousy also adds to his hardship in accepting Rodolfo and Catherine’s relationship, another reason to this envy is his over-protective nature. He has brought up Catherine as his own daughter and feels afraid to let her grow up, so he cannot face her having any relation to other men. Eddie’s wife, Beatrice’s is unhappy with Eddie’s attitude towards Catherine, which soon starts to create a rift between the couple. â€Å"It’s been many days and nights since you haven’t slept with me†; shows that Eddie has been so caught up in Catherine and making sure she does not fall for Rodolpho, that he begins to forget about his duties as a husband. Further into the play, Eddie begins to feel another emotion towards Catherine: sexual attraction. This is shown by many things which happen throughout the play. He quickly begins to feel extremely jealous of the immediate impression Rodolfo makes on Catherine. The stage directions state at a point, â€Å"He looks at [Catherine] like a lost boy†, when she reveals her feeling for Rodolfo to him, but he is unable to admit it to everybody else. Furthermore, Eddie becomes so obsessed with Catherine, that he has no control over his emotions; for example Catherine begins to like Rodolpho, Eddie cannot control himself and has to find a way to vent his anger, so He decides to hurt Rodolpho, by using an exercise of teaching him to box,:†you ever do any boxing†? Eddie, at this point, feels so remorseless, that even when Rodolpho refuses to hit him, â€Å"I don’t want to hit you Eddie,† he stills feels like the need to hit him, showing how obsessed he is. Moreover, Eddie becomes too interested into the relationship between Catherine and Rodolpho, that he involves the Immigration Bureau, this is because he could not spilt the true love apart. In the eyes of the audience and the other characters, it causes Eddie’s remaining honours to be thrown in the dirt. As in any community, even though there may be accused, the government should not be called in, otherwise the one, who spread the word, shall not be respected by all others and therefore, he becomes an out-cast. His redemption occurs towards the end of the play. His honour is restored with his own death. This is as he fights with Marco and ultimately dies, but he accepts his fate, and therefore restoring his respect and honour. In this part of the play, he also shows how he had planned the fight and was so obsessed that he brought a knife and fought like a coward. This brought his redeemed respect again to an all time low. Society respects a man, who acts like a man, and Eddie in this part, fights like a coward, which is unacceptable in the society. In conclusion, Eddie, although being a real man at the start, ends his life in a shameful and cowardly way. In my analysis, I have shown how Arthur Miller portrays this in an effective and skilful way, which shows his brilliant ability as a writer. I feel that ‘A View from the Bridge’ is a very high-quality book with a interesting and deep story, giving it full marks in my view.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

On Turning Ten

On Turning Ten Billy Collins Billy Collins was born in New York City in 1941. Collins is a member of the faculty of SUNY Stonybrook Southampton College, where he teaches poetry workshops. He was appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He served as Poet Laureate in New York from 2004 to 2006. He has been named Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Winter Park Institute in Winter Park, Florida. In his early ages, he attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains and received a B.A. (English) from the college of the Holy Cross in 1963 and received his M. A. and PhD in English from the University of California, Riverside. Billy Collins has been called â€Å"The most popular poet in America† by the New York Times. The poem on Turning Ten by Billy Collins was written in 1996. The poem is about leaving the childhood behind and growing up. It gives new perspective on aging and how it feels when becoming old. Over the years, the U. S. agazine Poetry ha s awarded Collins several prizes in recognition of poems they publish. During the 1990s, Collins won five such prizes. The magazine also selected him as â€Å"Poet of the Year† in 1994. In 2005 Collins was the first annual recipient of its Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts and in 1993, from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Dementia: Cerebrum and High Blood Pressure

DEMENTIA AWARNESS 1. Understand what dementia is 1. 1 Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia' A syndrome due to disease of the brain, usually of a chronic progressive nature in which there are multiple disturbances of higher cognitive function. These include impairment of memory, thinking and orientation, learning ability, language and judgement. 1. 2 Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia The key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia are the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital, cerebrum lobe and the hippocampus.Temporal lobe- responsible for vision,memory, language, hearing and learning Frontal lobe- responsible for decision making, problem solving, control behaviour and emotions Parietal lobe- responsible for sensory information from the body, also where letters are formed, putting things in order and spatial awareness. Occipital lobe- responsible for processing information related to vision Cerebrum lobe- i s responsible for for the biggest part of the brain its role is memory, attention, thought and our consciousness, senses and movement.Hippocampus- responsible for memory forming, organizing and storing and emotions 1. 3 Explain why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Because they both manifest with similar symptoms. Depression coupled with age related memory impairment looks the same as dementia to the untrained eye. The difference is that depression delirium responds to treatment with anti depressants, once you get on top of the depression you can put age related memory loss into perspective.If it is genuine dementia it won't get any better. 2. Understand key features of theoretical models of dementia 2. 1 Outline the medical model of dementia The medical model focuses on the impairment as the problem and focuses on a cure, these may be dependency, restriction of choice, dis empowering and devaluing individuals 2. 2 Outline the social model of dementia This is personal centred, focusing on the rights of the individual, in turn empowering the individual, promoting independence, giving choice and looking at what the individual is able to do. . 3 Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability Individuals who have dementia are not aware of requirements for living, they can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medication,hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation. Individuals cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult which is why dementia should be viewed as a disability 3. Know the most common types of dementia and their causes 3. List the most common causes of dementia Alzheimer disease This is the most common cause of dementia, during the course of the disease the chemistry and structure of the brain changes, leading to the death of brain cells. Vascular dementia If the oxygen supply to the brai n fails, brain cells may die, this can happen from a strokes or over time through series of small strokes Lewy body disease This form of dementia gets its name from tiny spherical structures that develop inside nerve cells, there presence in the brain cells leads to the degeneration of brain tissue. . 2 Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition, symptoms include minor memory problems, difficulty saying the right words, disorientation personality changes and behavioural changes Vascular dementia may develop suddenly and quickly, symptoms include memory loss depression, visual hallucinations, low attention span and periods of mental confusion.Lewy bodies develop gradually and gets more severe over the years, symptoms include memory loss, visual hallucinations, delusions, muscle stiffness. 3. 3 Outline the risk factor's for the most common causes of dementia The risk factor's for Alzeheimers is age, famil y history and genes Vascular dementia is increasing age, history of heart attacks, strokes or mini strokes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes Lewy bodies is advanced age, it appears to affect more men than women, having a family member who's had it and a unhealthy lifestyle 3. Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia The established prevalence rates for different types of dementia are 40-64yrs 1 in 1400 65-69yrs 1 in 100 70-79yrs 1 in 25 80+ 1 in 6 4. Understand factors relating to an individuals experience of dementia 4. 1 Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability Depending on the form of dementia people's ability and disability will be different. People with ementia may not necessarily always be forgetful, their memory may remain intact but their personality and behaviour could be noticeably changed. However the level of ability and disability depe nds on an individuals age and condition of dementia, people who are living with dementia in earlier age such as 60's-70's are less likely to be as dependable on others than people living with dementia at the age of over their 70's-80's. People also have different levels of stamina at different ages so their ability and disability may vary and the level of support they require will be varied as well. . 2 Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia People who suffer from dementia can feel excluded if people aren’t giving them enough time to finish there conservation or tasks, which can lead them to being treated differently and can cause more illness such has anger, depression and frustration , so therefore there is good combination of general awareness of the existence of dementia but poor detailed understanding of its causes, progression and implications tends to lead to inaccurate assumptions.